PAKU (1977) Drawing by Michel Léonard (LEM)

LEM stands for Léonard – Experience – Motion, since 2017.

Michel LÉONARD

was

born in North Africa, in the early

fif

ties,

from a mother,painter

a

nd a

father architect , both French. He lives immersed since his childhood in art and painting which leads him, in a most natural way, to the School of Fine Arts in Toulouse

(south of France)

. He soon gives up to live his long-dreamed globe-trotter life.

All along his creative roaming years, he exhibits from time to time and gets a great number of awards .

Brief awards

summary

:

– 1971: Finalist at the XXIInd Grand Prix International of DEAUVILLE FRANCE                                          

- from 1973 to 1987 at the INDEPENDANTS PARIS

'SALON

 of which he becomes a member.

- 1976/1977 settles and paints in SPAIN Costa del Sol in Mijas close to Torremolinos.

-  1978 - Honorary Diploma at Grand Prix des Provinces de l´Art de CANNES - Finalist with two paintings at the XXIXth Grand Prix International de DEAUVILLE  – 1978//1979: exhibitions in PARIS 1st and IVth Districts Town Halls.       

– 1979 : becomes a Member of “ Bilan de l´Art Contemporain”                - same year, is named Member “Honoris Causa” at The European Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels,                                                            - Member of “Artistes Contemporains”

From 1974, besides painting and travelling along, Michel LEONARD owns, in France

's southern seaside

,

"ready to wear" (pret a porter)

women clothing shops

.   Numerous travels in Asia, which added to his own interest for fashion, incite him to start his own collections in Bali by using “Batik”* process as well as highly colored hand painted fabrics           (*Batik = wax

coated

areas on fabric

s

before dying )

In 1998 at the age of 48, he decides to “

let go of

everything” according to his own saying, and for

the next

ten years turns into a deep sea sailor on board his

own catamaran.

All these years at sea force him to neglect painting, yet

h

e keeps on “thinking and pondering about his own art tinged with imagination and fancy”

.

LEM stands without a doubt among the pioneers of a style which was to be called later in time “La Figuration Libre” of which he gladly agrees to stand the comparison

.

H

is art be

com

ing more eclectic and evolutionary brings it closer to “Les Arts Premiers” a school of painting issued from “L´Art Brut”.    

  At present, LEM operates mainly

on

order

s.

He particularly appreciates these compulsor

y factors

as they force him to focus his inspiration

upon

his clients´ requests.

• Nationality: FRANCE
• Date of birth : 1951
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary French Artists